Friday 29th March 2024
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Lady Tornadoes Punch Ticket To State Contest

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By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director

Union City, Tenn.–The very thing that was perceived to be Union City’s strength entering the season carried the Lady Tornadoes to the girls’ sectional team tennis championship and a berth in the Class A State Championships.

UC showcased quality depth in both singles and doubles play, getting the match-clinching win from the No. 2 doubles tandem of Gracyn Callicott and Molly Kizer in a 4-3 victory over Madison Academic Magnet Tuesday in Jackson.

The state tournament trip will be the ninth in the history of the Lady Tornado program, which has a pair of runner-up finishes in its annals and last made the Final 4 in 2019.

Union City (11-10) will face off against Unicoi County next Tuesday at 3 p.m. in Murfreesboro in one of two semifinals. The winner will advance to next Wednesday’s championship match at 1:30 p.m. at the Adams Tennis Complex.

The Twister girls avenged a bitter 4-3 loss to MAM at the same sectional juncture last season with Tuesday’s drama-filled triumph.

UC had gotten straight-set singles victories at the third, fourth and fifth seeds when Shelby Bondurant, Kizer and Davey Frankum all triumphed convincingly.

Frankum was especially impressive, dominating Kailah Hamilton 6-0, 6-1, while Bondurant and Kizer were also in firm control with 6-2, 6-3 wins against Carly Ingram and Megan Hicks, respectively.

MAM claimed decisions at the top two seeds, Leah Baldwin defeating Union City’s Annie Wade in straight sets, while Mitzi Castro outlasted Callicott 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in a marathon match that lasted more than three hours and was eerily similar to their titanic battle last year in the sectionals.

The Lady Mustangs then invoked a little-known USTA rule that allowed them to take a one-hour break before starting doubles play, with UC players and fans becoming restless during the latter stages of that inactivity.

Wade and Bondurant faced Baldwin and Castro at the top seed when play resumed and fell behind early. At the same juncture, the Callicott/Kizer team jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Ingram and Hicks as the two matches were played on side-by-side courts.

Madison briefly forged a 3-all tie with an 8-3 victory before Callicott and Kizer closed out their opponents 8-4 after winning three straight games to break open a close match and end the competition more than five hours after it started.

UC head coach Tom Sisco nodded in agreement that his top-to-bottom strong roster was the ultimate difference in moving on to the state Final 4.

“We stressed from the beginning of the year that our depth would pay off when we got into the postseason,” Sisco claimed. “We knew we could depend on it. Coach Mooney and I thought we would be the favorites at third, fourth and fifth seeds, and we really had an advantage at the No. 2 doubles spot if it got that far.

“The length of the Callicott-Castro match did not surprise us because of how they played each other in the past and their similar styles. Gracyn recovered quickly from the loss and was able to put it behind her immediately. She and Molly were really good.

“I was really proud of how well the girls handled the long break between the singles and doubles matches and the composure they showed. I thought we were very competitive and focused from the very beginning. We were on a mission against a really good team that beat us in a very tough match last year.”

Sisco allowed himself to briefly look ahead to next week and the “other” UC.

“We’d looked at the bracket, and I’m sure Unicoi is a very-deserving state tournament entry – just as we are,” he said. “I know there’s strength on the other side of the bracket, too, with possibly Summertown making it after they were state runners-up last season.

“Overall, I like our chances. With our depth and experience, I feel good about how we’ll match up with any of the other teams.”

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